Specialists in the field of prevention of torture and ill-treatment are improving their qualifications

Specialists in the field of prevention of torture and ill-treatment are improving their qualifications

On the initiative of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the support of the European Union Mission in Kazakhstan, a comprehensive 4-day expert mission was organized for the participants of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) from October 10 to 13 this year, aimed at improving the effectiveness of NPM tools.

The Commissioner for Human Rights Elvira Azimova addressed the participants and foreign experts with a welcoming speech. She thanked her colleagues for organizing the training, stressing that with the expansion of the NPM's mandate, they are entrusted with great responsibility, as well as high qualification requirements for its participants.

"It should be the most transparent and open mechanism in the prevention and detection of torture and ill-treatment. But exclusively from the point of view of the possibility of conducting monitoring independent of state bodies. We have already passed a certain stage of history. Of course, even now there are many questions raised by the NPM participants related to the need to further improve the instruments of activity, forms of consolidation of efforts. Today, NPMs are not only representatives of NGOs, they are also specialized independent specialists in the person of social workers, forensic experts, legal consultants, and others. We intend not only to study, but also to listen to the recommendations of experts and we will also discuss with you topical issues that, in our opinion, require expert assessment, but also suggestions on how to improve their implementation. In fact, we now need to improve and develop the next stage of activity," Azimova said.

The event was held in a hybrid format under the program "TAIEX PI Mission of Experts to strengthen the National Preventive Mechanism" on the basis of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which was attended by over 80 people including representatives of NPM groups, members of the Coordinating Council for Ensuring the activities of the NPM and employees of the Ombudsman's Office.

Experts from Greece, Denmark and Spain shared the best methodologies of the national prevention mechanism, assistance skills, ways to attract specialists, communication and dissemination of information in order to improve the skills and knowledge of the Kazakh NPM and the Ombudsman's Office.

At the same time, in the dialogue with the regional participants of the NPM, the need for further development of the organization of the work of medical and social institutions with the widespread introduction of the institute of social support by specialized workers was noted.

During this event, experts organized training seminars, as well as meetings with deputies of the Majilis of the Parliament, consultations with representatives of state bodies and special visits to the pre-trial detention center and IVS in Astana.

Representatives of foreign ombudsmen were impressed by the achievements of Kazakhstan, in particular in terms of digitalization of complaints and appeals of convicts, transfer of penitentiary medical support to the field of civil health. They noted that Kazakhstan is moving in the right direction in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.

Recall that in Kazakhstan, the NPM has been functioning since 2013 on the basis of the "Ombudsman+" model, which implies coordination of the activities of the NPM by the Institute of the Commissioner for Human Rights together with representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil sector organizations.

The NPM operates as a system for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, functioning through regular visits to closed institutions without prior notice.

Currently, the number of participants in the NPM groups of the regions is about 100 people from among the representatives of the civil sector (lawyers, forensic experts, journalists, social workers, etc.).

Since the beginning of 2022, they have visited closed institutions of the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Defense, Labor and Social Protection, Health and the Committee of the Criminal Justice 350 times.

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